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Char's creative cooking finds a home in Hotel Andaluz
First visits to new restaurants excite over the chance to try something different: an inventive dish, say, or a creative cocktail.
During a recent dinner at Char in the Hotel Andaluz, the brick-fringed tower that stands on the eastern edge of Downtown, we had two such experiences.
First was the Chile Flight, a sampler of three New Mexico chiles served with housemade corn tortillas.
Second, a steak cooked on what is reputedly New Mexico’s first Josper Grill, a charcoal-fueled grill/oven combination that provides more even cooking and better moisture retention than ordinary grills and stoves.
With these and other touches, Char is forging an identity distinct from Mas Tapas Y Vino, the Spanish-themed restaurant that occupied the location for many years.
Char has earned plaudits from online reviewers since opening in March, but based on a recent visit, the buzz has not translated into traffic. We were able to book last-minute reservations online for an early dinner Saturday night. Valet parking is available, but it’s usually easy to find spaces on the surrounding streets. We parked on the north side of Copper Avenue between First and Second streets. Meters run until 6 p.m.
After entering the hotel on the Copper side to warm greetings from a couple of valets, we found Char on the northeast side of the hotel lobby, its entrance framed with colorful stained-glass windows.
The dining room has been tastefully made over in subdued earth tones. The effect is serene. A three-sided bar sits outside the dining room entrance. A second, smaller bar is located on the second-story patio, accessible via a flight of stairs in the dining room.
Along the west side of the dining room stands a long, open kitchen where you can watch the half-dozen or so cooks working. On the night we were there, chef Marco A. Espinoza patrolled the kitchen counter, checking dishes before the servers whisked them away.
The Drinks Menu, contained in a floppy leather-bound folio, includes a one-page wine list of affordable bottles mostly in the $50 range. Local beers are available on tap and in bottles. As with many higher-end restaurants nowadays, the cocktail menu is divided into Classic and Signature choices. The Signature selections, depicted on the menu in colorful drawings, cost $16 to $20 and include some highly original concoctions (chorizo fat-washed mezcal, anyone?) A few are available as mocktails.
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We tried the Ponche ($17), named after the Spanish word for “punch.” The vodka-based cocktail with pineapple and guava was sweet, fruity and tropical. Cinnamon added potent hits of warm, spicy notes. Served in a rocks glass, it was a refreshing, great-tasting drink, if not particularly strong.
The New Mexican Sangria ($14), a mix of red wine, brandy, citrus and simple syrup served in a long-stemmed wine glass, was a good, wine-forward version of the popular drink, though I’m not sure what made it New Mexican.
We started our meal with the aforementioned Chile Flight ($15). A pocket-sized card lists the choices with brief, accurate descriptions. We chose the Hatch Green and Red chiles and the Big Jim Red. The chiles were served in three black bowls arranged on a narrow tray. It was a fun way to compare the subtle differences in sweetness, heat and smoke between the chiles. The generous samples came with excellent corn tortillas that were light and spongy.
The rest of the menu is broken into Starters, Entrees and Sides.
The 12 Starters range in price from $12 for Guacamole and Salsa to $22 for Wood Roasted Bone Marrow with chorizo and corn tortillas. There are a couple of salads in the mix. The couple at the next table shared a massive Tomato + Sandia salad ($17) featuring big slabs of watermelon and a baseball-sized lump of burrata cheese.
Alongside the Starters is a Taqueria menu offering five choices for $17 to $24.
Espinoza, a native of Mexico, has cooked at a number of spots in Albuquerque over the years. He described his approach as infusing Mexican dishes with New Mexico ingredients. Case in point: La Roca ($32), a bone-in chicken breast, served over a classic Mexican mole that incorporates New Mexico green chile.
Espinoza described this dish like a proud father and we quickly found out why. The chicken, served in a broad, shallow bowl, was moist, the mole had some snap to it and the portion size was just right. It’s one of the best chicken dishes in the city.
The six entrees run from $17 for a Green Chile smashed burger with avocado and bacon to $39 for a Whole Branzino crusted with Mexican cotija cheese.
The Josper Grill section of the menu contains several different cuts of beef priced from $35 to $65, along with a Tomahawk Steak that is market-priced and must be ordered in advance. I ordered the 10-ounce American Wagyu Sirloin, the least expensive option. It was served on a hot black stone laid over a handled wooden board. The thick sirloin had a uniform quarter-inch of sear on both sides and was evenly pink in the middle. This was sirloin in all its glory: more beefy flavor than a filet, but also more tough parts. Since the stone stayed hot, I was able to slice off pieces and sear them before eating.
The steak came with tortillas and condiments. I made a few tacos with thin slices of sirloin, pickled onion, salsa and a terrific garlicky, herbaceous chimichurri. At that point in the meal, our small table was so crowded with utensils, drinks and condiments, I feared that one wrong move would send everything crashing to the floor.
Char does that upscale steakhouse thing of offering the sides at an additional cost. There were eight of them. No green vegetables, sadly.
The Pave Potatoes ($9) is named after the French word for “cobblestone,” which the top layer bears a passing resemblance to. It’s made from layers of thin-sliced potatoes laced with manchego cheese. The resultant block, served in a shallow bowl, was a better version of potatoes au gratin. The crisp parts on top were like potato chips, while underneath the cheese brought buttery, nutty flavor to the soft layers of potato.
The dessert menu, printed on a tiny card, offers four options that cost between $12 and $15. Churros & Helado ($12) comes in a handled pan, the four fat churros arranged like sticks of firewood over a scoop of peanut butter ice cream topped with warm Mexican chocolate. Caramelized banana slices and berries filled out the dish. The churros were warm and tasty, although I think crispier versions would have presented a better textural contrast to the ice cream. Also, they were very filling. I tapped out after only one and a half.
Our server was friendly and attentive. The menu has lots of gluten-friendly options. Sadly, though, none of the desserts qualify.
An added bonus to eating here is the chance to grab a chair in the exquisite lobby with its fountain and dramatic wooden ceiling and enjoy the musical acts that perform on most weekend nights. It’s a scene you won’t find at any other restaurant in town. In Char, the Hotel Andaluz has a restaurant befitting its lovely setting.
